Five people have been banned from 24 betting shops across Birmingham, UK, by Betwatch – a partnership between the Gambling Commission, the police, local council and bookmakers.
The initiative is designed to tackle localised anti-social and criminal behaviour in and around betting shops.
This comes following concerns raised by Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police about suspected drug dealing and anti-social behaviour linked to one bookmaker.
The individuals were issued with ban notices by Betwatch, prohibiting them from entering any betting shops in the city centre. Names and images have also been circulated among the betting shops to allow staff to identify the individuals concerned.
Helen Venn, programme director for compliance at the Gambling Commission said: “This is a really positive result for Betwatch, which has been rolled out across central Birmingham for 18 months now. We want the community, whether they are customers at a local bookie or not, to feel safe and that they are protected. This stands for betting shop employees too.
“The reality is anti-social behaviour and the crime associated with betting shops can only be tackled if gambling businesses, police, local authorities and the Gambling Commission work together. Betwatch achieves this, allowing each partner to address issues with the tools they have available to them and in circumstances such as this, refuse service to those that pose a risk to the public.”
Sharon Horner, West Midlands Police’s designing-out crime officer, said: “Betwatch illustrates the calming effect of people working together to reach a mutually desired outcome of reducing crime and anti-social behaviour in the community and enhancing the betting experience.”
